PURE.WHISKY: Ardmore 11yo from an ex-Laphroaig Oloroso Sherry Cask (Review)

Pure Whisky: Ardmore 11yo from an ex-Islay cask formerly used by Laphroaig Distillery (BarleyMania Whisky Blog)

Okay, fellas, let’s address the elephant in the room right away: This 11-year-old Ardmore from new German indie bottler PURE.WHISKY is an absolute banger of a dram! Ah, no. While this statement is totally true, that’s not the proverbial elephant. (more…)

GlenWyvis Batch 1 / Vintage Distillation 2019 (Review)

GlenWyvis Vintage Distillation 2019 Batch One (Single Malt Highland Scotch Whisky Tasting Notes BarleyMania Blog)

I always like it when a young whisky takes a certain pride in its age rather than trying to hide it. After all, the time spent in the barrel is but one of many factors that influence the outcome of the final product. In fact, one might argue that the chosen ingredients, (more…)

Hanse Spirit 2024 in Hamburg – Explore the Liquid Life (Fair)

Hanse Spirit 2024 - Explore the Liquid Life (Northern Germany Hamburg Whisky Fair)

“Explore the Liquid Life” – ever since its first installment back in 2011, that’s been the claim of the Hanse Spirit fair, which is traditionally held in my home town of Hamburg in the beginning of the year. And what can I say? When I visited the event this year, I embraced that motto (more…)

Ardmore 13yo “The Iron Collar” by Whisky of Voodoo (Review)

Ardmore 12yo "The Iron Collar" from Whisky of Voodoo by Brave News Spirits

For me, Ardmore is one of those hidden champions that usually don’t get as much praise as they’d deserve. Especially when drawn from carefully selected casks and bottled in natural strength, the distillery’s medium-peated Highlands whisky has a tendency to shine extra-bright. (more…)

Cley 4 Years Old “Palo Cortado Finish” (Review)

Cley DIstillery 4yo Palo Cortado Finish

Palo Cortado is a comparatively rare type of sherry that we don’t see in the whisky world all too often. Sure, every now and then there is a release that says “Matured in a Palo Cortado cask” on the label. But in comparision to Oloroso or PX, for example, those bottlings are few and far between. (more…)

Turntable X Starward Collaboration Drop 01 (Review)

Turntable X Starward Collaboration Dram 01 (Scotch Australian Blended Whisky)

Whisky, like music, connects people even if they are oceans apart from each other! With their recently released Collaboration Drop 01, Scottish indie bottlers Turntable Spirits have given that claim whole new level of truth. Taking it literally rather than just figuratively, they teamed up (more…)

“10+ Years”: Virtual Warehouse Tasting with Fary Lochan from Denmark (Tasting)

Virtual Whisky Warehouse Tasting with Fary Lochan Distillery from Denmark (Impressions)

Fifty-five years of maturation spread across five drams! In this day and age, where less and less whiskies are bottled with double-digits on the label, that is a respectable number for any tasting line-up. It is all the more impressive, however, for a five-piece from a distillery located in (more…)

Organic Danish Whisky: Inaugural Release by Sall Whisky Distillery (Review)

Inaugural Release by Sall Whisky Distillery from Denmark (Organic Danish Whisky)

When it comes to Danish whisky, I have to thank Thomas of Fary Lochan for some of my best discoveries. Among others, he was the one who first pointed me towards Thy Whisky. And he was also the one who introduced me to Sall Whisky – an organic micro distillery (more…)

Thy Whisky: Cask Owners Tasting aboard the Cap San Diego in Hamburg (Tasting)

Thy Whisky Cask Owners' Tasting aboard the Cap San Diego in Hamburg

Earlier this year – in the summer of 2023, to be precise – my wife Dini and I became cask share owners at Thy Whisky in Denmark. In four-or-so years, this will get us a dozen bottles of beechwood-smoked, PX-matured, organic single malt whisky. But that’s not all! (more…)